There aren’t many groups today that can boast a 50-percent
increase in meeting attendance since last year. But then again, the annual
North American Iron Workers/IMPACT (Ironworker Management Progressive
Action Cooperative Trust) Labor Management Conference isn’t just any meeting
and the ironworkers aren’t just any group of Vegas conventioneers.

One look at the conference agenda, and a visit to the first few sessions
and it was evident how education and advancement of both the trade and
those who practice it was a top level goal.

The three day event, held January 29-31 at the Paris Hotel in Vegas attracted
740 participants (up from approximately 500 the year before) including
ironworkers and the contractors for whom they work.

Sunday’s activities included a visit to the Ironworker Training Facility
shared by Las Vegas Locals 416 (Rebar) and 433 (Structural and Miscellaneous
Metal) and a small trade show that highlighted the products and services
the union had to offer. Chief among these was education.

“Many of the things IMPACT does are geared around education,” said Walter
Wise, general president of the Ironworkers International. “To have us
together with our signatory contractors is an outstanding learning opportunity
for everyone.”

The opening session on Monday, January 30, began with the national anthem
sung by Gary Russo, the signing ironworker. Russo has expanded from singer
to author, debuting his book, Don’t Die With Your Song Unsung, and was
a great favorite with the crowd.

Monday morning’s session included an educational update and the introduction
of IMPACT’s new training director, Lee Worley. “The tools we used for
training in the past have evolved,” he said. According to Worley, today’s
training includes slide presentations, videos,

Monday morning’s session included an educational update and the introduction
of IMPACT’s new training director, Lee Worley. “The tools we used for
training in the past have evolved,” he said. According to Worley, today’s
training includes slide presentations, videos, drawings, Internet links
and much more.

“In the ‘old days’ you would learn the trade from apprenticeship manuals.
Today, you learn electronically—and we can help track how that training
is going electronically as well,” Worley said. Worley said that using
programs such as “virtual jobsite” will help train more people better
than ever before.

Worley was followed by veteran political reporter and columnist Charlie
Cook who gave his take on the likely outcome of the 2012 Presidential
election.

Shifts in perception were also discussed; attendees were asked about shifts
in their region in attitudes toward union construction. Thirty-nine percent
said they see no real change; 26 percent said things are a little better
and 29 percent of those voting in the survey said things are a little
worse.

Walter Bazan of the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) got one
of the biggest rounds of applause when he called for an end to retention
on jobs. ASA has been fighting the retainage issue for more than 20 years.
Bazan and Wise also announced a new, closer working relationship between
the union and the association and put a joint agreement detailing such
in place.

General secretary Eric Dean gave an update to the membership during lunch.
He emphasized newer Internet communication methods. “Social media is going
to be very important to us in the future ... and for those [local business
agents] that can’t or won’t get on board, we will find a way around that,
but it is here to stay,” he said.

Dean also talked about the group’s efforts to collect and use better historical
data when fighting jurisdictional disputes. “We were getting our tails
kicked on jurisdictional disputes,” said Dean. “We were failing miserably
in court. Our precedents and evidence were old. But we have worked hard
to collect historical data and to track it across locals. We are starting
to see things change.”

Dean also explained a series of key performance indicators (KPIs) that
are kept for each local. In an impressive display of statistics, he showed
historical data for each KPI that allowed it to measure success on an
any basis as well. Two KPI awards were presented, one to Local 12 in Albany,
N.Y., and the other to Local 700 in Windsor, Ontario.

2012 was also the year of the iPad for IMPACT Conference. The group gave
away four at lunch and included a session on the basis of understanding
iPads, iPhones and their applications as one of the afternoon break-outs.

By far the most interesting break-out for attendees in the glass industry
was the one entitled “Transparency in the Glass Industry,” given by veteran
USGlass magazine columnist Lyle R. Hill, managing director of Keytech
North America.

It was billed as a no-holds barred session that told ironworkers the real
pain issues between them and glazing subcontractors, and it did not disappoint.

Hill enumerated the frustrations of the glazing contractor—from workers
who quit work early, to those companies that cheat on hours and employees.
And he didn’t stop there.

“In my 40 years in business, I never had a worker involved in an accident
who tested positive for drugs. But I have seen at least five serious accidents,
two in which pedestrians were hurt, where alcohol was involved. We do
a lot of drug testing, but isn’t our bigger problem alcohol? Shouldn’t
something be done about that?” Hill asked the group as a number of heads
bobbed in agreement.

Sessions also included a number of Town Hall meetings and topics such
as “What the Hell is BIM?” with optional sessions as well.